The market has been heavily flooded with bodybuilding supplements which in theory have exceptional muscle building capabilities. I am almost sorry to inform you, but the suggested super powers never manifest themselves. Often the bottle and the graphics on the label cost more than the active ingredients contained in the product.

Having said that, supplements have some value if you adjust your expectations and go for products that actually work for you. After all, if it’s not working, why are you taking it?

The best way to determine whether a supplement is beneficial is to run a trial period. A good example would be creatine – a very popular supplement designed to increase your strength and endurance. The bros in the gym say that you can expect at least a few extra reps from creatine.

A long time ago, I bought a bottle of high-quality creatine, hoping that it will help me complete a demanding training program. Unfortunately, I got one big N-O-T-H-I-N-G from the whole bottle and had to discontinue my use.

In my opinion, if you’re not seeing a regress after discontinuing a supplement, it makes no sense to take it in the first place. Actually, this is how I stopped taking fish oil.

Back in the day, I took heavy doses of fish oil because the experts said so. Every month I was buying one big bottle and overdosing like crazy. At one point, I got frustrated and stopped. I experienced zero negative effects.

Of course, you could have a different story and a solid reason to take fish oil. My goal was simply to illustrate that one could consider something a priority when it clearly isn’t.

Surprisingly, or not, my supplement odyssey does not end here. In the past, I suffered from knee pain caused by skateboarding, poor food and being alive. This is when I learned about a joint support supplement with Glucosamine. I started buying the product.

Back then this was an expensive pleasure, but I found a way to continue my use for a few months until one day the pharmacist asked me – “Is this working?”. I remember her very well. She was pretty, but the kind of pretty that comes with creepy. Anyway, my answer was – “I hope so.”

Later that day it hit me – I’d been taking an expensive elixir for months without knowing if it works. The next month, I cut it from my life, forever. No regrets.

Don’t miss the big picture!

People smoke, eat garbage, don’t train and expect that a pill will reverse all sins. It’s not going to happen. Eating at least 85% healthy foods and exercising intelligently will outperform any supplement.

To summarize:

– Bodybuilding supplements do very little for healthy people with good diets.
– If a supplement does nothing for you, it’s time to get a divorce.
– Training smart and eating healthy eliminates the need to take supplements to a significant extent.